DECATUR, Ga. — Eight students from Georgia State University’s Perimeter College are frontrunners for the prestigious Jack Kent Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship, making them the only semifinalists from the state of Georgia.
The semifinalists, all Perimeter Honors College students working toward their associate degrees, are among 459 individuals selected from more than 1,600 applicants attending 194 community colleges in 37 states, plus Washington, DC, and the Northern Mariana Islands.
Perimeter’s 2024 semifinalists and their areas of study are:
Haneen Ahmed – Engineering
Rafaela Berry – Social Work
Shalom Ejiwunmi – Biology
Prevail Olusegun-Joseph – Health Sciences Professions
Sofia Saavedra Bonilla – Engineering
Kulsum Saber – Engineering
Rakeb Tesfassellasie – Engineering
Min Khant Zaw – Engineering
The Cooke Transfer Scholarship is designed to create a clear pathway to a four-year degree by offering up to $55,000 per year along with academic advising and access to a network of peers.
“We are beyond happy for this year’s semifinalists, all of whom work very hard in their respective Honors College courses and across Perimeter campuses and surrounding communities,” said Dr. Lauri Goodling, associate dean for Honors College and associate dean for International Initiatives at Perimeter College.
Each year, Honors College faculty and staff help to recruit and mentor students through the Jack Kent Cooke application process, to increase their competitiveness for the highly sought award.
“These semifinalists amplify the work that we do semester after semester to help our associate-degree seeking students excel and continue their educations,” Goodling said.
Seppy Basili is executive director of the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation.
“In light of the challenges that hinder many community college students from achieving their goal of earning a bachelor’s degree, our Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship makes the journey more achievable and helps to eliminate the threat of student debt.”
Since 2002, 27 Perimeter students have received the scholarship, with many transferring to institutions such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Yale University, Stanford University, Emory University, Georgia Institute of Technology and Georgia State.
“The exceptional pool of talent among this year’s chosen semifinalists from community colleges showcases the vast potential within these institutions and we look forward to learning more about these students during the final stage of our application review,” Basili said.
The Cooke Foundation will announce its 2024 winners later this spring.
Story by Kysa Daniels
Photo by Bill Roa